The Photograph
by dragonheartt
Summary: Conby , set S2. : He's her best friend. Best friends can take photographs with each other and put them in frames in their flat if they want to, right? She's so not trying to push Caroline away. She just wants to spend more best mates time with Connor, and if something else comes out of it... *shrug*


AN: So this photograph was spotted by a tumblrite during her rewatch of episode S2E5, and all I could think was 'how could that sort of photo have come about canonically?' and, well, it led to a ficlet. ^^' I obviously took some liberty with it but it begged me to be written!

Takes place a few days before S2E4, and a week before S2E5. (I'm assuming the picture was in the flat before S2E5 and that's not the first time Caroline had the opportunity to see the pic)

* * *

Abby nibbled at her lip and peeked around the corner. Connor was immersed in his video game, still dressed up from his date with Caroline though his girlfriend hadn't accompanied him back to the flat this time. The part of Abby that was a mix of protective and jealously possessive of Connor was able to admit that she was both (probably) responsible, and also pleased, by this turn of events.

She gripped her camera in both hands, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she suddenly became unsure about this. Connor liked Caroline, that ought to be enough reason to not push the woman away - Connor's feelings would be hurt if Caroline broke up with him, and he'd be mad at her if she was the reason for it. On the other hand, taking a photograph with Connor and putting it in a frame somewhere in the flat wouldn't really mean anything. He was her best friend, she could take pictures with her best friend and show them in the flat she shared with him… right?

"Abbs? What're ya doin' ?" She blinked at the sound of Connor's voice, and looked up to see concern in the warm brown eyes. He'd paused his game 'cause he'd noticed her brooding and was worried about her! Abby smiled at him.

"Just thinking." She told him. He raised an eyebrow and shrugged, and Abby made her was over to the sofa, sitting down next to him with the camera in her lap as she watched him play.

"Thinkin' 'bout what?" He asked, throwing a grin her way before looking back at the screen and clicking the controls.

"Hmm, lots of things. We haven't had a lot of time together lately, I kinda miss it." Abby admitted. Connor's jaw tensed, she could see he was expecting her to rant about Caroline again.

"Sorry, Abbs." He murmured, glancing her way.

"It's okay, Conn. I completely understand, really." She cleared her throat, biting her lip again. "Hey…" He glanced at her, pausing the game, curious.

"What?"

"I was thinking, we should add another picture to the flat, don't you think? We both got new haircuts since the last one, yeah?" Abby said, cautiously. He grinned.

"That's why you're acting all quiet 'n stuff tonight?" She nodded, and he chuckled. "Sure, yeah. It's like a tradition, innit? Dunno why you'd be nervous."

Part of what was so great about Connor was how sweetly oblivious he was. He didn't see why there'd be any problem with it, at all. '_Maybe it's 'cause he fancies you, even with a girlfriend'_ her mind whispered to her. Abby ignored it in favor of turning on the camera as Connor got up and turned the lights brighter, babbling about the fact that it would make the picture look better.

"Oh!" She looked at Connor at his outburst.

"Hmm?"

"We still have that tripod, it'll make it look almost professional, yeah?" He told her, enthusiasm making his eyes bright and his dimple show. Connor's shirt rode up as he basically bounced out of the room to go find it before she could say anything, and Abby found her eyes drawn to the bared skin of his stomach. She cursed at herself in her mind, and waited for him to return, a fond smile on her face.

"Found it!" Connor called, returning and trying to set it up. When he found himself ridiculously frustrated by the simple mechanism, Abby giggled and did it for him. Certified genius who had built some amazing things and whose brain worked faster than the rest of the team put together, and he couldn't put a tripod together. It was funny.

She settled back on the sofa as Connor set the timer, and grinned as he grabbed his hat before sinking back against the cushions, the contact between their shoulders warm through the layers of clothes. She posed, facing the camera, and sensed Connor doing his 'simmer' - when he wasn't grinning bright enough to light all of London he was 'simmering' in photographs. The light flashed and the camera clicked, taking their photo. They grinned and Abby pushed Connor when he leaned against her, and then he'd grabbed one of the pillows and she'd done the same, and in moments there was a full-on pillow fight between the best friends.

A few days later a printout of the picture was sitting on a table by one of the reptile tanks, in a frame she'd found for it. When Caroline saw it for the first time, she'd sent a death-glare in Abby's direction. Connor'd been oblivious as usual and was worried that Caroline was getting sick when he saw the look on her face, and Abby'd had to bit her tongue to stop herself from bursting out laughing.

It was so worth it, Abby decided, even if she and Connor were fighting about Caroline again in days.


End file.
